2021 VOLKSWAGEN T-ROC steering wheel

Fig. 26 Illustration: correct distance between the driver and the steering wheel, correct seat belt
routing and correct head restraint adjustment.
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒Introduction 
The correct sitting positions for the driver and passengers are described below.
If any vehicle occupants cannot assume a correct sitting position due to their physical build, they
should contact a qualified workshop to find out about possible special modifications. The seat belts
and airbags can only provide a maximum level of protection if a correct sitting position is assumed.
Volkswagen recommends using a Volkswagen dealership for this purpose.
Volkswagen recommends the following sitting positions for your own safety and to reduce the level
of injury in the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or an accident:
The following applies to all vehicle occupants:
Adjust the head restraint so that its upper edge is at the same height as the top of the head, but not
lower than eye level. Position the back of your head as close to the head restraint as possible at all
times ⇒ Fig. 26 .
For small people, push the head restraint all the way down, even if the head is then located
underneath the top edge of the head restraint.
For taller people, push the head restraint up as far as it will go.
Keep both feet in the footwell while the vehicle is in motion.
Adjust and fasten seat belts properly ⇒ Seat belts .
Additional points for the driver:
Move the backrest into an upright position so that your back rests fully against it.
Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance between the steering wheel and your breastbone is at
least 25 cm ⇒ Fig. 26Ⓐ , and the circumference of the steering wheel can be held at the sides with
both hands and your arms slightly bent ⇒ Steering wheel .
The steering wheel must always point towards the breastbone and not towards the face.
Adjust the driver seat by moving it forwards or backwards so that you are able to press the pedals to
the floor with your knees still slightly bent and so that the distance from the dash panel to your
knees is at least 10 cm ⇒ Fig. 26Ⓑ .
Adjust the height of the driver seat so that you can reach the highest point of the steering wheel.

Fig. 31 An unbelted driver is thrown forward.

Fig. 32 The unbelted rear passenger is thrown forward and strikes the belted driver.
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒Introduction 
Many people believe that the occupants can brace their weight with their hands in a minor collision.
This is not true.
Even at low speeds, the forces acting on the body in a collision are so great that it is not possible to
brace yourself with your arms and hands. In a frontal collision, vehicle occupants who have not
fastened their seat belts will be thrown forward and will make unchecked contact with parts of the
vehicle interior, e.g. the steering wheel, dash panel, or windscreen ⇒ Fig. 31 .
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts. Airbags provide only additional protection
when deployed. Airbags will not be triggered in all kinds of accidents. Even if the vehicle is equipped
with an airbag system, all vehicle occupants, including the driver, must fasten their seat belt and
wear it correctly while the vehicle is in motion. This will reduce the risk of severe or fatal injuries in
the event of an accident – regardless of whether an airbag is fitted for the seat.
An airbag can be triggered only once. To achieve the best possible protection, the seat belt must
always be worn properly so that you will be protected in accidents in which no airbag is deployed.
Any vehicle occupants not wearing a seat belt can be thrown out of the vehicle and sustain more
severe or even fatal injuries as a result.
It is also important for the rear seat occupants to wear seat belts properly, as they could otherwise
be thrown forwards violently in an accident. Rear seat passengers who are not wearing seat belts
endanger not only themselves and the driver, but also other people in the vehicle ⇒ Fig. 32 .

Reflective objects such as safety barriers, tunnel entrances, heavy rain and ice can impair the
performance of the proactive occupant protection system and thus prevent it from detecting a
collision risk.
Incorrect system activation can occur.

WARNING
Accidents and injuries can occur if the driver is distracted.
Never change settings in the Infotainment system when the vehicle is in motion.

WARNING
Failure to observe illuminated warning lamps and text messages can lead to your vehicle breaking
down in traffic, and can cause accidents and serious injury.
Never ignore any illuminated warning lamps or text messages.
Stop the vehicle as soon as possible and when safe to do so.

NOTICE
Failure to observe illuminated indicator lamps and text messages can lead to your vehicle being
damaged.
Airbag system
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the followingsubjects:
⇒ Types of front passenger front airbag system 
⇒ Indicator lamp 
⇒ Description and function of the airbags 
⇒ Front airbags 
⇒ Switching the front passenger front airbag on and off 
The vehicle is equipped with a front airbag for the driver and front passenger. The front airbags can
provide front seat occupants with additional chest and head protection if the seat, seat belts, head
restraints and, in the case of the driver, steering wheel are adjusted and used correctly. Airbags are
designed only for additional protection. The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts. Seats
belts must always be worn, even when the front seats are equipped with airbags.

Front airbags

Fig. 40 Location and deployment zone of the driver front airbag.

Fig. 41 Location and deployment zone of the front passenger front airbag.
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒Introduction 
In conjunction with the seat belts, the front airbag system gives the front occupants additional
protection for the head and chest in the event of a severe frontal collision. Always keep as far away
from the front airbag as possible ⇒ Sitting position . This allows the front airbags to deploy fully
when they are triggered, thus providing maximum protection.
The front airbag for the driver is located in the steering wheel ⇒ Fig. 40  and the front airbag for the
front passenger is located in the dash panel ⇒ Fig. 41 . The airbag locations are identified by the text
AIRBAG.
The areas inside the red lines are covered by the front airbags when deployed (deployment zone).
You must never leave or attach any objects in these areas ⇒ . Any factory-fitted add-on parts will
not be struck if the driver and front passenger front airbags are deployed.

DANGER
Once triggered, the airbag inflates in fractions of a second and at very high speed.
Always leave the deployment zones of the front airbags clear.

Never attach any objects, such as drink or telephone holders, to the covers of the airbags or
anywhere in the airbag deployment zone.
No other people, animals or objects may be carried between the occupants of the front seats and
the airbag deployment zone. Make sure that children and passengers also keep to this rule.
Do not attach any objects, e.g. mobile navigation devices, to the windscreen above the front airbag
on the front passenger side.
Do not cover or stick anything on the steering wheel hub or the soft plastic surface of the airbag unit
on the front passenger side, and do not obstruct or modify them in any way.

WARNING
The front airbags are deployed in front of the steering wheel ⇒ Fig. 40  and dash panel⇒ Fig. 41 .
When driving, always hold the steering wheel with both hands on the outside of the rim at the 9
o'clock and 3 o'clock positions.
Adjust the driver seat so that there is at least 25 cm between your breastbone and the hub of the
steering wheel. Contact a qualified workshop if your physical build makes this impracticable.
Adjust the front passenger seat so that the distance between the front passenger and the dash panel
is as large as possible.
Switching the front passenger front airbag on and off

Fig. 42 In the dash panel on the front passenger side: key switch for disabling and enabling the front
airbag on the front passenger side.
First read and observe the introductoryinformation and safety warnings⇒Introduction 
The front passenger front airbag must be disabled if you fit a rear-facing child seat on the front
passenger seat.
Enabling the front passenger front airbag

WARNING
Closing the glass roof without the roll-back function can cause serious injuries.
Always close the glass roof carefully.
Ensure that nobody obstructs the path of the glass roof, especially if the roll-back function is not
active when it is closed.
The roll-back function does not prevent fingers or other body parts from being pressed against the
roof frame and being injured.

The roll-back function is also activated if you use the convenience closing function on the vehicle key
to close the windows and the glass roof.
Troubleshooting
Glass roof does not close
The glass roof works only when the ignition is switched on. The glass roof can still be opened or
closed for a short time after the ignition has been switched off, provided that the driver door or
front passenger door are not opened.
Steering wheel
Adjusting the steering wheel position

Fig. 67 Below the steering wheel in the steering column trim: lever for mechanical adjustment of the
steering wheel position.

Fig. 68 On the steering wheel: 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position.
Adjust the steering wheel position before setting off and only when the vehicle is stationary ⇒ .
Push down the lever ⇒ Fig. 67① .
Adjust the steering wheel so that you can hold it with both hands at its circumference at the 9
o'clock and 3 o'clock positions with your arms slightly bent ⇒ Fig. 68 .
Push the lever up firmly until it is flush with the steering column trim ⇒ .

WARNING
Incorrect use of the steering column position adjustment and incorrect adjustment of the steering
wheel can cause serious or fatal injuries.
After adjusting the steering column, always move lever ⇒ Fig. 67①  up so that it engages securely.
This prevents the steering column from moving spontaneously while the vehicle is in motion.
Never adjust the steering wheel when the vehicle is in motion. If you determine that a readjustment
is necessary when driving, stop the vehicle safely and adjust the steering wheel to the correct
position.
The steering wheel must always point towards the chest and not towards the face. This ensures that
the driver front airbag provides maximum protection in the event of an accident.
While driving, always keep both hands on the outside of the steering wheel at the 9 o'clock and 3
o'clock positions⇒ Fig. 68 . This reduces the risk of injury if the driver front airbag is triggered.
Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position, or in any other manner, e.g. at the hub of
the steering wheel. If the driver front airbag is triggered, you could sustain serious injuries to the
arms, hands and head.
Seats and head restraints
Front seats
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the followingsubjects:

⇒ Mechanically adjusting the front seat 
⇒ Folding the front passenger seat backrest forwards 
The following section describes the options for adjusting the front seats. Always ensure that you
adjust the correct sitting position ⇒ Sitting position .

WARNING
Always adjust the front seats to their correct position before any journey and ensure that all
passengers have fastened their seat belts.
Push the front passenger seat as far back as possible.
Adjust the driver seat so that there is at least 25 cm between your breastbone and the hub of the
steering wheel. Adjust the driver seat by moving it forwards or backwards so that you are able to
press the pedals to the floor with your knees still slightly angled and the distance to the dash panel
in the knee area is at least 10 cm. If your build makes it impossible to fulfil this requirement, you
must contact a qualified workshop so they can make any necessary modifications.
Never travel with the backrest tilted far back. The further back the backrest is tilted, the greater the
risk of injury caused by incorrect seat belt routing or an incorrect sitting position.
Never travel with the backrest tilted far forwards. When a front airbag is triggered, it could force the
seat backrest backwards and injure vehicle occupants on the rear seats.
Adopt and maintain the greatest possible distance from the steering wheel and dash panel.
You should always sit upright with your back against the seat backrest with the front seats properly
adjusted. Do not position any body part too close to where the airbags are fitted.
The risk of serious injury is increased for passengers on the rear seat if they are not sitting upright
because the seat belts are incorrectly positioned.

WARNING
Incorrect adjustment of the seats can cause accidents and serious injuries.
The seats must be adjusted only when the vehicle is stationary, or else the seat could change
position unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion, leading to a loss of control of the vehicle.
Furthermore, an incorrect seating position is adopted while adjusting the seat.
Adjust the height and tilt of the seat or move it forwards and backwards only when the area around
the seat is clear.
The adjustment range of the seats must not be restricted by any items.
Adjust the tilt angle of the rear seats or move them forwards and backwards only when the area
around the seats is clear.
The adjustment and locking areas of the seats must not be soiled.